Essay on The Three Modes of Persuasion Socrates Apology

Ciara Watson The Three Modes of Persuasion: Socrates’ Apology In speaking of effective rhetorical persuasion, we must appeal to our target audience in a way that will get them to accept or act upon the point of view we are trying to portray. Aristotle said that we persuade others by three means: (1) by the appeal to their reason (logos); (2) by the appeal to their emotions (pathos); and (3) by the appeal of our personality or character (ethos) (Corbett and Connors 32). When Socrates, an infamous rhetorician, gave his â€Å"apology† to his fellow Athenians after being accused of atheism or not believing in the gods and corrupting the youth with similar teachings, he employed all three modes of persuasion to prove his innocence. Despite the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"After long perplexity, I thought of a method of trying the question. I reflected that if I could only find a man wiser than myself, then I might go to the god with a refutation in my hand† (Plato 199). He validated his belief in the oracle to disprove the accus ation of his atheism and show this as the reason behind his â€Å"mission to find a wiser man.† In â€Å"Socrates: A Companion to the Philosophers, John Beversluis says, â€Å"This disappointing venture had convinced him that the god was right: no one is wiser than Socrates, albeit only in the modest sense that, unlike the others, he does not claim to know what he does not know.† In Alexander Sesonke’s review of â€Å"Plato’s Apology: Republic 1†, he boasts Socrates appeal to logos writing, â€Å"His method in Republic 1 as throughout the early dialogues, is to seek truth via refutation; to elicit opinion and then confront it with a contrary opinion held with equal firmness. It is a method requiring great logical agility whose exercise is based upon the faith that conviction and truth are to be achieved by finding in each respondent the true voice of his true self.† Despite facing the death penalty, Socrates logically defends his way of life and maintains his composure. In a large portion of his speech Socrates used the syllogism to appeal to his audience’s reason. The syllogism was a schematic device that Aristotle invented to analyze andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Benjamin And Plato s Apology872 Words   |  4 Pagestake center stage in a discussion, which essential evolves it into a term of rhetoric. The combinations of those three modes of persuasion really make or break any kind of protest or critique. Within the passages of the book of Amos and Plato’s Apology, both hold those main three concepts within their rhetoric. Regardless of the subject, time period, or religious view, having those three components is what makes and supports a good healthy discussion, which, in my eyes, effectively appeals to the audienceRead MoreCMNS 304 Notes Essay5778 Words   |  24 PagesLECTURE 4 Rhetoric = Art of persuasion (form and content = important) Craft of effective communication, message and convincing people to act Logic - reasoning / grammar - written language Notion of Expectation = What do you expect to be convinced? Logic = Presentation that shows truth and the opposite 2 Kinds of Logic Formal (ways of making statements that can be math proved/ scientifically proved â€Å"if not this, then that† Informal (everyday reliance, involves persuasion) May use techniques of deception